Relationship between Mothers' Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior towards Application of Fluoride and Caries Experience of Their 3-year-old Children

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mothers' knowledge, attitudes and behavior towards application of fluoride and caries experience of their 3-year-old children. The subjects were all 437 pairs of mothers and their children who participated in the 3-year-old check-up at a community health center in Hiroshima from 1993 (Nov.) to 1994 (March). At the 3-year-old check-up, the mothers answered a questionnaire on their knowledge, attitudes and behavior toward application of fluoride, and the caries experience of their children was recorded by dft based on WHO caries diagnostic criteria. The results were as follows: I. Sixty-nine percent of the mothers reported brushing to be the most effective method in preventing tooth decay, but only 1 percent of them cited the application of fluoride as the most effective method. 2. Twenty-four percent of the mothers used toothpaste with fluoride for their child. Eighty-one percent of the children had some experience of topical application of fluoride 3. Neither the use of toothpaste with fluoride nor the topical application of fluoride had an influence on the dental condition of the children. These results suggested that most of the mothers didn't regard fluoride as a means of preventing dental caries, and mothers' better behavior toward application of fluoride didn't lead to better dental conditions of their children. Therefore, specialists in dental health should give information about fluoride to mothers.